MORE SUPPLIES OF POTATOES NOW IN BAY OF PLENTY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 60, 7 November 1949, Page 5

MORE SUPPLIES OF POTATOES NOW IN BAY OF PLENTY

Probably the only potatoes that will be able to be purchased from retailers in the Bay of Plenty will be new potatoes, which are now coming to hand in a fairly good supplies. Old potatoes and seed potatoes, according to one merchant, have just about been finished and it is doubtful if any more will be seen at Whakatane again this year, Whakatane’s supply of new potatoes is coming from Gisborne, and most merchants and retailers expect that there will be ample for homes over this summer. The one drawback is' in the quick price fluctuation, and many merchants are reluctant to buy them in bulk because it quite often does not pay. They say that the Price Tribunal is continually changing the price. An illustration: New potatoes may be ordered from, Gisborne this week at 8d a lb. They arrive next week and is down to 7d a lb. The merchants must take delivery at Bd, but must sell at 7d. With this arrangement, it is obviously impossible for merchants to make anything but a loss. , But this is not happening all the time, and it is a chance the merchant or retailer must take.

When the question of the shortage of seed and old potatoes was referred to one merchant for explanation he said that the trouble was caused through a poor crop this year. Most of the old potatoes had all been sold for eating and when they ran out a start was made on seed potatoes, which did not last too long, either. The result is today, that most seed and old potatoes have been eaten.

Reference to the potato shortage was made by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr E. L. Cullen, in his, address at Edgecumbe. Although last year there had been a glut of potatoes this season - was quite the opposite, he said. The crops had been very poor, and although the Government had issued licenses to import supplies from Australia, there had still not been enough. However, from inquiries made at Whakatane it seems fairly certain now that the recent shortage has passed and there should be adequate supplies of new potatoes anyway, for the Bay of Plenty.